April 28, 2015

You'll Book More Gigs & Sell More Music with Musician's Atlas

You'll Book More Gigs & Sell More Music with Musician's Atlas


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-  Print & Online Reviewers
-  Click here for more: https://musiciansatlas.com/special-promotion/?affilid=2021&level_id=49


April 27, 2015

Submit Your Songs Now....


SUBMIT NOW FOR COAST 2 COAST MIXTAPE 300 
HOSTED BY TECH N9NE!




We are now accepting song submissions for the milestone Coast 2 Coast Mixtape 300 Hosted by the largest independent artist in the world, Tech N9ne! The legendary rapper has turned down $60 million deals in order to continue his mission as the largest independent artist and label in the world, Strange Music. Tech N9ne has sold over 2 million albums independently and has now teamed up with Coast 2 Coast to provide indie artists a MAJOR opportunity to get on this mixtape!

Top Songs 5 Songs will be Selected! Submit Now!

SERIOUS ARTISTS: GO PREMIUM TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF BEING PLACED ON THE MIXTAPE!


Radio Airplay Top 10 Artists (Week 17 2015)



Top Band on Jango This Week
KIKI theStoryTeller7
Top Band on Jango This Week
The Diamond Underground
Top Band on Jango This Week
The Langer's Ball
Top Band on Jango This Week
Adventures Of Leonid
Top Band on Jango This Week
Bamblusion
Top Band on Jango This Week
Jim Moseley
Top Band on Jango This Week
Ric Cursen
Top Band on Jango This Week
The Blackboard Nails
Top Band on Jango This Week
Our Vices
Top Band on Jango This Week
Bill Chambless

April 24, 2015

Center Stage - Ricardo Schneider

545339_372466392839036_1669598584_n.jpgMeet our new Center Stage artist, Ricardo Schneider!

Ricardo Schneider is a composer and interpreter musician, born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Through guitar, keyboard and vocals, Ricardo expressed his compositions and reinterpretations of Soul / Blues / Rock, in a mix of acoustic sounds and influences Folk in solo and band recordings. He studied piano from 8 to 13 years old before diving into the world of guitars and acoustic guitars, and from there began to compose and make music, beginning to perform in concerts in 2010.

His compositions and their own identity are the result of influences from various artists mixed, Baião to Rock'n Roll, Blues to Reggae.

Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence.
A personal kind of blues, something created by an urge to put the thoughts out.

What inspires you to make music?
I think my musical influences helps me a lot to focus and create. Everytime that i feel like i’m blocked musically, i just relax and go listen to something new, it always opens my mind. And of course, there’s the people around me, who gives me support and inspiration to play and write.

What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
We’re living in a time that allow us to discover whatever we want, and absorb it in the way we want. So i guess that freedom i have for create and show my music in so many ways, gives me the satisfaction that i need to keep going.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
The music world has a lot  of different people, with different jobs, but everyone is connected, so the biggest challenges that i face it’s deal with some people who isn't worried about quality or creativity, who just wanna make the same  thing over and over again. But i’m grateful for meet a lot of open mind musician friends who showed me that this is nothing but  little obstacles we have to pass through.

What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
I have a lot that I could mention, but the "Physical Graffiti" album from Led Zeppelin really impressed me in a way that i will never forget, it’s a huge masterpiece.

Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why.
It's very hard to narrow down to just three, I grew up listening to so many artists, but I think that "The Beatles" gave me a whole world of music possibilities, a lot of different songs but with an identity that makes you recognize them immediately. Their level of creativity was just from another world.


Eric Clapton is really someone who influenced me deeply my whole life. His way of sing and play captivates me since i was a little child. He has an impact in so many lives around the world.
Led Zeppelin is the band that i worship , i think i listened to their entire work like thousands of times, and I’m never going to be tired of it. The sound that these guys made takes me to a place in my head that it’s hard to put in words. For me, they’re the kings.
But like i said, i have so many more influences that i could talk about, from a lot of countries, including a lot of Brazilian musicians who helped me create my identity with their songs and attitudes.

Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us? Tell us about it.
Yes, I have an acoustic EP coming in the next month, with some home recordings of musics of my own, which i put my blues, folk influences  in it. The name is ‘’From Home’’, and I’ve just release the first single of the Project, the blues song ‘’Days Gone By’’. It’s available on my Jango Radio page and my website: www.ricardoschneider.com , with a lot of other songs of my own and covers too.

What is your ideal or target audience?
I think my target audience is everybody who wants to discover something new, who likes to be in touch with the energy that music gives you.  It’s more than enough for me.

Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
Yes, I sure do. The process of create music can be very different in each time. I have a lot of ideas for new songs in the middle of live shows, while I'm taking a shower, when I'm walking with my dogs, even at sleep sometimes... The truth challenge is build a song from that first idea, may takes weeks, may takes minutes, but it’s worth it.

What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
The power that Radio Airplay gives us to reach fans, to expose our music to all around the world and connect us with them it’s just amazing. I’m glad to be a part of it...

Do you have a Youtube video?
Youtube link for acoustic video of ''Days Gone By'' :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLKftqrj-r0

Any additional links?
To hear the original version of the song, go to: 

https://soundcloud.com/ricardoschneidermusic/days-gone-by

To hear other songs and videos, check the live dates and connect with my music, go to www.ricardoschneider.com and follow me on Instagram : @schneider_ricardo

Center Stage - Riley Etheridge Jr.


RileyEtheridge_1500x1500.jpgMeet our new Center Stage artist, Riley Etheridge Jr.!

Respected singer-songwriter Riley Etheridge Jr. has reached many people with his poetic and vulnerable songwriting. His carefully crafted four-album catalog is rife with haunting and healing stories of the human condition, each emotionally resonate and each thoughtfully placed within well-developed thematic albums.  


But after an artistic epiphany, and a spontaneous jolt of creativity, he made the brave decision to break the mold and write the invigorating party record, The Straight and Narrow Way.

“I remember a gig in North Carolina. During the third or fourth song people came down from their seats and danced,” the NYC-based artist recalls. “It just lifted all of us up, it was fun, and I realized a new way I could connect with people.”

The seeds of this album were sown over a weekend of spontaneous creativity with longtime producer Wendell Tilley and gutbucket guitarist extraordinaire Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers and Dr. John) who has played in Etheridge’s live band but hasn’t factored in the creative orbit of Tilley and Etheridge until now. The trio reimagined the Riley Etheridge Jr. dynamic, suspending preconceptions and creative patterns, to see where writing some guitar-based rock n’ roll could lead. Guest musician, and roots rock icon, drummer Jim Keltner summed up the work perfectly when he described it as sounding like “Steely Dan got lost over a long weekend in New Orleans."

The eleven-song The Straight And Narrow Way is a sharp and festive collection album of funky Americana.  The brawny bluesy “Roll Away The Stone” is the album’s creative epicenter.  “That was the first song we wrote. It was just the three of us in the studio on the floor writing about a weekend of partying gone bad,” Etheridge says with a chuckle.” The sweetly nostalgic relationship track “Song For Amy” blends Etheridge’s literate sensitivity with his newfound swagger. The stunning duet with Sara Watkins, “The Maze,” is a back porch ballad that evokes Etheridge’s most tender work and provides a nice dynamic contrast to the album’s party groove.

The Straight And Narrow Way was born from freewheeling recording sessions in Los Angeles, Nashville, and New Orleans. Its loose and vibey feel is a testament to the folks Etheridge had the good taste to invite to the party. The album features Sara Watkins from Nickel Creek, Joe Sample vocalist Erica Falls, former Allman Brother Johnny Neel, Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor), and drummer Jim Keltner  (Traveling Wilburys, Bob Dylan, Elvis, John Lennon).

Finding a fresh way to connect with people has been a revelation for Etheridge. “I really cherish my relationship with the fans. Last album, during the record release party, people were crying in the aisles, it was meaningful to have that interaction. I feel like this time maybe they’ll be dancing on tables,” he says with a good-natured laugh.

Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence.
Louisiana influenced Americana

What inspires you to make music?
Daily living and the wonderful people and places I encounter

What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Writing simple songs that listeners enjoy.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
The balance between creativity and doubt.

What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
Willis Alan Ramsey's first (and only) album

Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why- Living or dead.
My Mom, Girlfriend and kids- their support and inspiration matter.

Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us? Tell us about it.
I am opening 5 shows for Leon Russell 2/17-21, including 2 nights in NYC!

What is your ideal or target audience?
Not sure I know this yet....I have found great audiences at small house concerts and at festivals in Europe.

Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
I mainly write alone- my most rewarding collaborations have been with my producer Wendell Tilley as our 25 year history helps us start at an honest place.

What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
Feedback from real listeners!

Do you have a Youtube video you’d like us to include in the feature?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrrY9jSEo9M

Please provide any additional links you’d like us to include:
www.rileyetheridge.com
www.facebook.com/rileyetheridgemusic

www.noisetrade.com/rileyetheridgejr/riley-etheridge-jr-sampler

For more information, please contact:
Melissa Dragich-Cordero / MAD Ink PR
MelissaDragich@gmail.com

Michelle Gutenstein / MAD Ink PR
michelle.gutenstein@me.com

Krista Mettler / Skye Media & Rock Ridge Music
publicity@rockridgemusic.com







What are you doing in between songs?

 
"Lots of musicians are comfy-cozy when it comes to playing through their songs on stage, but they freeze up when they have to tell a story, thank the crowd, draw attention to merch, or ask for email signups." Check out this fun and helpful post from our friends at CD BABY, with great tips and advice including a video on more comfortable and better stage banter at your next show!

Click here for more: http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2015/04/improving-your-speaking-skills-between-songs/

3 Lessons From Indie Artist Summit


Finding experienced people in the industry to share their knowledge with bands and aritsts is crucial.This is why David Kusek, founder of the New Artist Model and Rick Barker, former manager of Taylor Swift and founder of the Music Industry Blueprint held an event in Nashville to hear from industry proffessionals. 


Here are 3 or the best lessons from the summit you can apply in your life as a musician or band today. Read more: http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2015/04/3-lessons-from-the-indie-artist-summit/

April 16, 2015

Center Stage - Sequester


MissingImage_blog.pngMeet our new Center Stage band, SEQUESTER!

Sequester is the musical project of Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Boc. Founded in 2005, all of the material thus far has been written, performed, recorded and produced by Boc, having drawn inspiration from various genres of music including: heavy and thrash metal, progressive and psychedelic rock, traditional English and Scottish folk, grunge, alternative rock, blues, jazz, and classical.

Sequester’s sound has been described as being both expressive and melodic, with frequent use of counterpoint and harmonized layering in both the guitar and vocal sections. The songs are usually long in duration due to progressive structuring and arrangement, utilizing numerous sectional changes throughout each piece. Common lyrical themes include fantasy literature, history, folklore and mythology, as well as human nature, spirituality, and personal topics; generally they are sung with a clean voice— oftentimes with thrashy, more aggressive overtones.

Graduating with a combined degree in Music and Computer Science from the University Of Victoria, Ryan Boc had been writing and recording music both in his classes and his spare time. He obtained initial exposure after posting a number of Blind Guardian covers on the band's official forum. Met with positive feedback in regards to his guitar playing and unique vocals, Boc moved on to releasing originals under the name Sequester, and has since created his own sound by combining elements from a vast array of different musical styles.

Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence.
Somewhere between Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, with lots of layers and harmonies.
What inspires you to make music?
Listening to music.

What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
The continuing advancement of recording technology and getting to try out new software and sounds, particularly regarding amp and speaker simulation. In terms of composition, playing around with different song structures has always been my favourite part.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
Clambering for audience attention during a time when there is an overabundance of entertainment readily available at any given moment. In other words, promotion.

What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
Blind Guardian's "Nightfall in Middle Earth" is pretty high up there for me.

Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why- Living or dead.
There are so many greats. The first who come to mind are Devin Townsend, Mikael Akerfeldt, and Steven Wilson. Artists who can continue to progress, experiment, and develop their ideas while still maintaining aspects of their existing identity is both admirable and inspiring.

Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us? Tell us about it.
I released my fifth album "Missing Image" a few months ago. Reviewers and listeners have said it is my most mellow album to date, which is a fair description when compared to earlier work. Right now I am just enjoying some down time and messing about with new gear.

What is your ideal or target audience?
Any open and like-minded fans of music. I don't really have a specific demographic or target audience since I'm all over the place myself. When you start genre blending and things are changing from track to track though, it can be tricky hooking someone with that first impression, which is often all you get. So, fingers crossed that the person you reach is hearing the right song during the right frame of mind.

Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
I do. There isn't a formula per se, but it mostly involves combining a number of riffs or ideas that I think would go well together, and structuring them in interesting ways. What determines that will depend on my mood at the time of arrangement, as well as other pieces within the same body of work. Lyrics have always been written after the music though; that's pretty much been the only constant throughout the process.


What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
Visual promotion as an indie (be it banners or "hey come check me out!" type messages) has always made me uncomfortable and rarely been efficient at generating new fans. So for someone who writes music for music's sake, and doesn't really have an image to sell, getting the material directly to listeners without any flashy or intrusive marketing nonsense has been cool.


Do you have a Youtube video you’d like us to include in the feature?
Here is "Bard" from the most recent album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufJTAzAPDBo

Please provide any additional links you’d like us to include.
Official: www.sequester.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SequesterMusic
YouTube: www.youtube.com/SequesterMusic
CDBaby: www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Sequester

April 15, 2015

Having the best artist photo possible



"Promotional photos are a huge component of a musician’s marketing and branding. It’s necessary to have just the right images to effectively market your music and its message." Our partners at MTT posted a great article explaining why you should never scrimp on your photo shoot. 

Learn more here: http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/reasons-you-should-never-scrimp-on-your-photo-shoot-part-1.html

13 things every musician should know...




Check out this great article and helpful guide from our friends at CD BABY, on what you should be doing and know how to do if you want to be a successful DIY musician today!

http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2015/04/13-things-every-diy-musician-should-know-how-to-do/

Promote your music on Instagram


Instagram is a great tool to help promtoe your music and you may not be taking full advantage of this platform. DIY Musician is recapping 6 articles about Instagram that might give you some new ideas on how to promote your music with pictures and video. 

Check it out here: http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2015/04/instagram-for-musicians-promote-music-on-social-photo-platform/

April 14, 2015

Song Submission Deadline Approaching


ATTENTION RADIO AIRPLAY SUBSCRIBERS:
EXTENDED DEADLINE IS APPROACHING SOON ON APRIL 30
IF YOU MISSED THE REGULAR DEADLINE, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO ENTER
WIN $10,000 AND BE MENTORED BY RECORD LABEL EXECUTIVES
TO ENTER, CLICK HERE

April 9, 2015

Market Music Like Beyoncé


Check out this fun and informative article from our friends at MUSIC THINK TANK, with some really good general principles that indie artists can apply from Beyoncé’s marketing campaign!

http://www.musicthinktank.com/mtt-open/how-to-market-your-music-like-beyonce.html

Center Stage - Neil Tatar

Neil Tatar-E_0.jpg                       
We are proud to introduce our most recent Center Stage artist, Neil Tatar.   An experienced guitarist who also plays piano, hand drums and percussion. He has a musical orientation that is contemporary in style, primarily rooted in blues, rhythm & blues, and light jazz. Driven by his love of music and passion for helping others, Neil has been a performer and a teacher for more than 35 years.
                 
  
Neil has been helping others discover and develop their musicality since he was an undergraduate at Boston University in the 1970s. He offered guitar lessons to students in the greater Boston area and also focused on developing his own skills as a performing guitarist. Neil has appeared onstage with a number of musical groups, and more recently has been composing his own music on his newly rebuilt 1925 Steinway piano. Some of these compositions were recorded for his recent CD, “Where Did the Time Go”, a collaboration with Grammy Award winning cellist David Darling. Currently, Neil is developing new material for his upcoming release that is being recorded and produced by Will Ackerman at Imaginary Road Studios.
                   
When Neil isn’t recording music, he focuses his creative energy on leading improvisational workshops. His workshops echo the energy he brings from continued inspiration and training. As President of the Board of Directors and a graduate of the Music for People Musicianship and Leadership program, Neil incorporates the teaching principles of the program to provide participants with the tools to enhance their improvisational skills. He welcomes the musically inexperienced as well as the seasoned professional.
                   
Neil leads workshops for a variety of groups, including adult mental health programs, camps
for children with serious illnesses, assorted college groups, and regional arts councils. As a facilitator, he creates a safe and supportive environment for participants, combining a long standing tai chi practice and meditative philosophy with his enthusiasm and creative energy. True to his devotion to improvisation, Neil’s workshops are playful and never the same. Participants have reported expanding their musical repertoire or happily becoming reacquainted with their musical selves.
                   
A musician through and through, Neil is regularly humming a tune, drumming, playing funky guitar, composing on the piano or pulling something musical from his laptop.
    
Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence
A mixture of ambient music and soft jazz, with a light seasoning of rhythmic blues.  

What inspires you to make music?
I am constantly inspired by my own life experiences, and my compositions often are a reflection of these experiences.

What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Writing new compositions, and working in the studio with other musicians to achieve a creative end result.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
Making sure my composing is unique, fresh and identifiable as “my” sound. I want the listener to be able to “catch” the emotion that I am trying to convey.

What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
Peace Piece, Bill Evans

Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why- Living or dead. There are numerous influences that cover such a wide range of music, from Miles Davis to Carlos Santana. I would also have to single out my good friend cellist David Darling, who has been a mentor to me in so many ways, and collaborated with me on our latest album “Where Did The Time Go”.

Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us?
I do have an exciting new album/CD in the works, currently being recorded and produced by legendary guitarist and producer Will Ackerman at Imaginary Road Studios.

What is your ideal or target audience?
Any audience dedicated to listening and appreciating my music. This spans all age groups and covers a wide range of demographics.  

Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
I am solely dedicated to playing my own music at this stage of my career. The creative process starts with the discovery of “sketches”, or brief phrases that then develop into compositions. I may take an idea and put it aside for several months, only to have it come up at a later date in reference to something I am working on. Most of my compositions are written on either piano or guitar, and there is a distinct difference that is heard in the end result  – where composing for guitar tends to be more rhythmic and a bit bluesy,  and writing for piano becomes more melodic in structure.

What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
I like the interaction with the listeners. It adds a human element for me, almost like I know the folks that become fans, send me comments, and appreciate my compositions.  




Center Stage - Coraxo

e62a7c1bbcb303d7ee693515a413ee09.jpg 
Meet our new Center Stage band, Coraxo !!

Coraxo was formed in summer 2013 in Tampere Finland, with the idea to mate old school death metal with ambient electro and soundscapes from science fiction.
The first EP Starlit Flame was released in Jan 2014 and the second part Starlit Flame II in Oct 2014. Both EP's were mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound Sweden.




Tomi Toivonen - vocals, guitar, programming
Ville Kokko - bass
Ville Vistbacka - drums

Describe your sound in one ramble-on sentence..
Scifi electro death metal in the nordic style.
Our music is inspired especially by old science fiction films and books, like Alien, Blade Runner, Philip K Dick, RA Wilson, Douglas Adams etc.
Our electronic component is inspired by classic sources, like Delia Derbyshire, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis and Pink Floyd.

What inspires you to make music?
It's always nice to see people enjoy our music and have fun listening to it. I'd say "fun" is the keyword to describe our music in essence.

What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Exploring new sounds. With synthesizers your ways of creating new sounds are pretty much limitless. Also being able to create something that has never
really been done before, I don't think there's anyone else who mixes ambient electro (like Tangerine Dream, Tycho, Node, Kitaro, Vangelis) into death metal.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
Nothing that can't be overcome, I'm sure.

What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
It has to be "Crimson" by Edge of Sanity. I can say it's not a small part of the reason we decided to go with Dan for mastering, I'm a huge fan of his work.
On the other end of the scale "The Silk Road" by Kitaro was one of my favorite music as a child, which must have some influence on the synth side of things.

Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why- Living or dead.
Peter Tägtgren, Dan Swanö, Devin Townsend. Tägtgren for being able to make awesome music from very simple and minimalistic elements, which we strive for as well.
Swanö for the groundbreaking work of making progressive death metal, and Townsend for the massive soundscapes and electronics in metal.

Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us? Tell us about it.
We're currently recording and mixing our upcoming full length album. It'll be mastered by Dan again, and released in the fall/winter 2015.
Release date is not set yet, but hopefully sometime in Sep-Oct.

What is your ideal or target audience?
Scifi nerds? Science nerds? Anyone who enjoys melodic death metal with a twist, really.

Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process..
Tomi: It depends, there's pretty much three ways I make songs. First way is when a song that's already done starts to play in my head, I guess you could call it sudden inspiration.
Then there's the way when I just noodle around with my guitar and happen to come up with something that I like. The third is when turn on the synths and start layering stuff
in my recording software. Then I turn the idea into a rough sketch and send it to the guys so they can compose and do the arrangements for the bass and drums.

What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
It's a great way to reach new fans worldwide.

Do you have a Youtube video you’d like us to include in the feature?
 



Please provide any additional links you’d like us to include


** Optional - Interesting story about you, or anything extra you'd like to add.
Our music tells the science fiction story of an alien nanomachine race called Starlit Flame, that arrives on Earth with the intention of enslaving the human race. The songs are stories of this Universe, with themes ranging from mind control to propaganda, civil war, terrorism, philosophy, ontology, quantum mechanics and so on…